What is the best export/import format for sending 3D files. I need someone to send be neutral format files, possibly Solidworks but I am not sure. Also any export settings to make sure I get decent quality files.
Nothing like getting a surface model when you want solid model.
The best neutral format is STEP file.
@MariaManuela wrote:The best neutral format is STEP file.
Agree... we've had great success since using only STEP files.
Thanks, just what I thought.
I agree also, had SOME success with IGES, but STEP is the preferred format.
Chris Benner
Inventor Tube & Pipe, Vault Professional
Cad Tips Tricks & Workarounds | Twitter | LinkedIn
Autodesk University Classes:
Going With The Flow with Inventor Tube and Pipe | Increasing The Volume with Inventor Tube and Pipe | Power of the Autodesk Community | Getting to Know You | Inventor Styles & Standards |Managing Properties with Vault Professional | Vault Configuration | Vault - What is it & Why Do I Need It? | A Little Less Talk - Tube & Pipe Demo | Change Orders & Revisions - Vault, Inventor & AutoCAD | Authoring & Publishing Custom Content
Niels van der Veer
Inventor professional user & 3DS Max enthusiast
Vault professional user/manager
The Netherlands
STEP hands down... I've had a few random problems with IGES... Never a problem with STEP
To be the black sheep, I tend to use IGES with our toolmaker (who uses Solidworks). On the first project we worked together they had problems importing the STEP file I created so I tried IGES and it worked better; so we've stuck to that since...
Sam M.
Inventor and Showcase monkey
Please mark this response as "Accept as Solution" if it answers your question...
If you have found any post to be helpful, even if it's not a direct solution, then please provide that author kudos - spread that love 😄
I recall looking into this about 6 years ago and the data at the time suggested 20% of translations between kernels would have errors... Just doing a quick LMGTFY to see if I could find the data and came across this interesting blog
http://blog.grabcad.com/2013/05/kernels-why-cad-systems-dont-play-well-with-others/
I mainly use .obj, i never had trouble with that, so you might want to try that 😛
I've seen a few cases where SWX didn't import well for STEPS from Inventor. A Parasolid (x_t, x_b) did it.
Filesize of Parasolid is normally smaller than STEP. But in most cases I'm using STEP, too.
Walter
Walter Holzwarth